Why a Prius over an EV?

What's the difference between PU drivers bashing Prius drivers and Prius drivers bashing PU drivers?

NOTHING!

 

I live in a highly agricultural area, you can easily tell Pickups that work on farms from Pickups to look like their neighbors. (The farmers spend less on chrome and have more reasonable lift kits. )

 

US Govt is not encouraging or subsidizing high MPG like Priuis.
We are encouraging conversion to electric, like the earlier encoruagement of ethnaol as alternate fuels.
Alternate fuels mean +Jobs, becuase basically you are forcing a new industry to form via mandates, and taking away market from petroleum sources. +Jobs is all Congress cares about, in reality. Petroleum industry may not care too much, not sure, becuase they have their hands full meeting current demand and are probably not too interested in building new US refineries to keep up with growth of USA/global population and third world increased energy use.

 

IF.....they would TAX fuel like they do in Europe, the "markets" would take care of vehicle selection without any other intervention.
I tried to summarize my point in the last sentence.

 

Before I bought the Prius I was considering another Corolla.
My wife saw a photo on my computer & exclaimed, What is THAT ugly car??!"

 

I saw a 2019 (2020?) in the wild today after the attempted emergency surgery on the rear of the car.

Nice try....BUT!!!

...pun nearly unintended.....

 

This is complete supposition. Only they decide if they need or want them, and you have no input. And you would never know who can afford what unless you are their accountant.

 

...not to mention a bit of a double standard - i.e. to wishfully state that the commoner cannot afford their own trucks and, in the same breath, suggest that increased taxes on same would be to their own benefit.

 

I don't how I missed this on my first read!.. ...

That's choice.

 

No it isn't.
What percentage of new car buyers do you think pay CASH for their car ?
The last big economic crash in the US was caused by over-extended credit.
That is a LOT of people buying things on credit that they really couldn't afford.
It will happen again.
There are signs that it might be building right now.

 

Your post was specific to pickups and SUV's, implying that only that segment of purchasers can't afford what they buy. Then you assume that they don't need the vehicles because you don't think they should buy them.

The OP for this thread, our intrepid WSJ reporter, should watch the "Smug Alert" episode from South Park to put some of the comments in this thread in perspective.

 

Needed a DC Beltway Fighter. Wife not ready for an EV. Finally got my first Prius in 2018. Wanted one, found one with with appearance package; love at first sight.

 

Have you painted it bright yellow yet?

 

I think that problem is more endemic of the millennial population than anybody else... ...and they're not exactly known for their pick-up trucks.

 

This thread "Why a Prius over an EV?", started by an automotive reporter w/ the Wall Street Journal really should be kept on topic for obvious reasons. In fighting, anti PU/SUV sentiments, borderline politics and other negatives do not reflect well on source.

 

Agreed. Corrected. Thanx for pointing it out.

 

It implies no such thing.
It is but one example of wretched excess.

In general, today's pickup trucks and SUVs cost about 3X what good basic transportation does.
But you are right in that I assume that most people neither NEED nor can AFFORD something that big or expensive.
If you dig around just a little, evidence to support that assumption is pretty convincing.
I personally know about 6 people who tend to prove the theory.

Done. Once again a simple comment turns into a heated debate.......accomplishing exactly nothing.

 

Just bought my first hybrid last week (yes, a Prius).

Why not an EV? America is big, and the parts I like visiting don't have the strongest electrical networks. A PHEV would have worked nicely, but the being out in the middle of nowhere part is why I want gasoline as a power source.

Yes, I live in suburbia hell, but I try to get away from it as much as I can. Some places I camp don't even have electricity to the sites or areas I camp. A lot of good an EV would do there.

 

This is an article the OP wrote for the WSJ 2 days ago (may require subscription)

GM, Volkswagen Say Goodbye to Hybrid Vehicles - WSJ

Mike